Could Lakers Pull Off Trade With Pacers For TJ Warren?

TJ Warren, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Trade Rumors
NBA Analysis Network

The Indiana Pacers made some headlines in NBA trade rumors recently saying that they are ready to embrace a rebuild. The three players mentioned as possible trade candidates were Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris LeVert.

All three players would net the Pacers a solid return package but are far from the only players that could be had in Indiana. Jeremy Lamb is someone that has been mentioned in trade rumors going back to the offseason and if it is a true rebuild, 24-year old rookie Chris Duarte could be someone teams look into acquiring as well.

One under-the-radar name to keep a name on is TJ Warren. Warren, reportedly, expressed to ownership that he would like to remain in Indiana. He is set to be a free agent after this season and could be met with a cold market because of the injury that he has dealt with.

Warren lit up the Orlando Bubble in 2020, has played in only four games since then because of an injury to his foot. He has yet to play in a game this season because of the injury and he is still without a concrete timetable to return.

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While Warren wasn’t a player mentioned as being traded as part of the rebuild, he could be available for the right price. Could the Los Angeles Lakers present an offer that would catch the Pacers’ attention?

Christian Rivas of Silver Screen and Roll came up with a few trades that the Lakers could make before the deadline. One of them involved Warren, who would be acquired in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and DeAndre Jordan.

This deal would likely intrigue the Pacers as they would be getting back the 21-year old Horton-Tucker in exchange for a player on an expiring deal that isn’t guaranteed to return to the team. That would be a very good addition for Indiana if they are going to rebuild.

From the Lakers’ perspective, it really depends on what your opinion of Horton-Tucker is. Los Angeles is very high on him, as they retained him on a three-year, $32 million deal in restricted free agency. He has immense potential, but for a team vying for a championship right now, his skill set may not match up with what the team needs to reach that level.

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Without many assets to build a package with, Horton-Tucker may have to be included in any deal if the Lakers want to upgrade the roster.

The Los Angeles Lakers would be taking a major risk trading for TJ Warren, but if he returns healthy and produces close to the level that he did in the Orlando Bubble, he helps the Lakers more on their path to a championship than Horton-Tucker does.

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